Attachment plug with pilot light



IApril 25, 1933. '8. C. WEBSTER 1,906,194

ATTACHMENT PLUG WITH PILOT LIGHT Filed Jan. 8, 195o 'Il 30 O//Z/ 20 "1mi `A 20 .3/ 27 :f/7Z37 25 32 am fZ 35 gli" l 'l' T Lf 12 'f 33 5334 2.5' J0 f/ 40% 6?/ 9 V f \@IJI Il@y f' Ms.- JQ 'a1-5? lill! NVENTOR yf BENJAMIN @WEBSTER Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BENJAMIN' C. WEBSTER, OF SOUTHPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO Tm BRYANT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT,

NECTICUT CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- ATTACHMENT PLUG WITH PILOT LIGHT Application led January 48, 1930. Serial No. 419,837.

This invention deals with-the construction of an electrical fitting in which are combined a flush receptacle for anV attachment plug yand a pilot light. The two parts are so related that whenever the prongs of a plug are putV plate forsuch a fitting.

5 to conform the 'outlineof the rim 16 or 34 are vsubstantially flush with the rim 16 of 100 l Figure 3 is a view looking into the base part of the said fitting.

Figure 4 is a view in section through the said base on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view in section through the tting on the line 5--5 of Figure 1.'.l

Figure 6 is a pers ective view of contact artscarrie by the base'.

The tting is made up of a face plate 10, having openings 11 for the attachment lug prongs and an opening for a lens 12 he d in place by two retainers 13 on the back, together the three with a base 14 in which are set the contact pieces, one of which carries the lamp 15. The open side of the base anda part of the back of the face plate are made to fit together and b reason of the covering of the open set in e former are held in place, the receptacle ntacts being thereby put in register side o #ibase by the face plate,`the contacts with the prong openings 11 and the lamp '14- in register with the lens 12.

' The base is a piece of insulating material molded to shape.' It is open at one sideand the rim 1-6 at this side is faced o in a single plane except along one edge where there is a portion 17 slightly set back'. By reason of this, the open side rests against the flat. rear side o f the face plate within a bead'18 on the latter. This bead, being of a size and sha in other words to the lower portion of the base), serves to position the base. Thus the base may be fitted within the bead and when the device is assembled the bead will. appear as a molding around the lower part of the base. The part of the plate outside of the bead may be thinner than that within, though reinforcing ribs of thicker section are desirable. The part 17 that is slightly setback overlies that part 19 of the posltionmg bead that forms one edge of the hole for the lens 12. From this part 19 of the bead extend two rivet posts 2O which are embedded .at one end in the face plate and which extend through holes 21 in the base so that when spun over at their outer ends they hold the base against the face plate. The two lens retainers 13 have holes enabling them to -be set over these posts to rest between the base and the face plate, and as they extend over the ends of the lens 12, they hold the flange 22 of the latter rmly against a recessed ledge 23 around the lens opening.

At the end toward the lens, the base has a flared opening 25 leading to a central well 26 to permit the contact end of the lamp 15 to extend into the base for sup ort while having its globe in register wit the lens. At either lside of the central well 26 are two bays Figure 3) 27, 28 which open through opposite walls of the base, and another bay 29 extends from the central well to the end wall opposite the lamp opening. The edges of the base wall where the bays -27 and V28 open to the outside are beveled.

One wall of the bay 27 has a groove 30 receiving one edge of a plate 31 of rigid metal which carries a screw 32, thus forming a binding post accessible from outside the base. A rib on the floor of the bay braces the plate 31 on the inside. An integral extension 33 at the open side of the base and the said edge of the extension 34 is beveled.

In the bay 28 is a plate made up of a heavy metal part 35 secured to a part 35 offlighter, resilient metal, and carrying a binding screw 36, accessible from the outside on the opposite side of the base from the one-described above, and extendin through both parts. A rib on the base of t e well braces the plate on the inner side and, in conjunction with the inner faces of the base against which the edges of the plate rest, gives the effect otra slot for the plate. The plate has a right angle extension 37 or lamp holder integral with the heavy part 35 and this extension has a spiral loop 38 at its forward end which lies at the inner end of the lamp opening 25, thus providing a means of support for the lamp inasmuch as its spiral is of the pitch of the threads on the lamp shell. Another eXtension 39 integral with the light metal part 35a of the plate lies along the other wall of the bay 28 and has an integral U-shaped end portion 40 extending into the bay 29 along the wall of the latter opposite from the contact extension 34. In similarity to the other unitary binding post 'and contact member, the

outer ed es of the binding post plate 35 of this mem r are substantially flush with the rim 16' of the base, asy are the outer ends of the U-shaped contact portion 40 which are flared apart to forma conventional, resilientblade receptacle contact.

A partition 41, an integral part of the base, extends through the bay 29 'along side of the U-shaped contact 40 and toward the central well where it bends to one side to shield the contact 40 from the inner end of the lamp. 0n the'other side of the lamp is a similarly formed insulating partition 42 between the central well and the bay 27. The end of the latter partition 42 has a recess leaving a rib 43 and opposite this on the wall of the base is arib 44, between which and the wall of the ba 29, rests the end of the contact 34.

gprung between the ribs 42, 43 and the partition 41 in the bay 29 is a bent over contact member 45 of thin resilient metal. One leg 46 of this member lies against the ribs 42, 43 parallel to but spaced from the contact 34. The len h of this leg is such as to locate the ben 48 practically iiush with the beveled end of the contact 34. The other leg 49 extends diagonally inwardly to the partition 41 and at its inner end it has a narrow extension reaching into the central well v where it carries a small bent-over terminal piece 50 forming the centercontact for the lamp.

The arrangement is such that when the base is in place against the back of the face late, the blades of the contact 40 register wit one plug opening 11 to receive between them one prong of anattachment plug, and the contact 34 and the leg 46 with the bend 48 are in register with the other opening whereby to serve as the jaws or blades receiving the other plug prong between them. It will be evident from this that the plug brid es not only .the line terminals represented y the two binding posts but also the center and shell contacts of the lamp because of the connection thereby made, through the attachment, from the member 45 to the contact blades 40 and the loop 38 which is a part of the same unitary member.

There is no need of rivets or other securing devices to hold the contact members in place when the fitting is assembled inasmuch as they are held from sidewise movement by the parts of the base against which they lie, and from movement out of the base by reason of the facts that the face plate covers the open side of the base and that the edges of the contact members over a considerable art of their extent are substantially Hush with the rim of the base and hence are held directly by the face plate. This gives an eective construction enabling the contacts to maintain their position in spite of fre uent insertions of attachment plugs. The a sence of separate securing devices reduces the cost both of material and of manufacture.

The assembly is a matter of no diiculty as the contact parts are readil set in place in the base and may be held rom slipping out by grasping the base in such a way as to enga e the binding screws with the thumb and ger. This mvolves no awkwardness but is a natural way of handling the base while placing it against the face plate. The bent contact does not slip out. as it is made of resilient metal and is sprung into lace. The other members are made ma' y of thicker stock, relatively non-resilient. The restraint upon movement, imposed by the face plate, 1s important however in holding all three contact members a ainst the forces exerted duringthe use of t e fittingl which tend to disturb the original setting that gives most satisfactory results.

I claim- 1. In an attachment plug receptacle, a molded. face plate having openings for plug contacts and a bead on the back thereof to position a base, in combination with a base having an open face and recesses for contact members, means securing said base in osition within the bead on said plate wit its open face lpresented to the back of said plate, and contact members in said recesses engaging the sides thereof and having portions extending sufliciently toward said open face to engage the back of said plate whereby alone they are secured in the base.

2. In an attachment plug receptacle, a molded face plate having openings for plug contacts and a lens opening, in combination with a base having an open face and recesses for Contact members, means securing said base in position against the back of said plate with its open face presented thereto, contact members in said recesses engaging the sides thereof and having portions extending suiciently toward said open face to engage the back of said plate whereby alone they are secured in the base, and a lamp holder electrically connected with one of said contacts, said base having a lamp opening at the end toward the lens opening in the face plate.

3. In an attachment plug receptacle, a molded face plate having openings for plug contacts, in combination With'a base having an open face and recesses for contact members, means securin said base against the back of said plate with its open face presented thereto, said face plate having a continuous bead conforming in outline to a portion of the open face of said base and being adapted to receive said portion of the base within it to position said base, and contact members engaging the sides thereof and having portions extending suiiciently toward said open face to engage the back of said plate whereby alone they are secured in said base.

4. In an attachment plug receptacle, a molded face plate having openings for plug contacts and a lens opening, in combination with a base having an open face and recesses for contact members, means securing said base in position against the back of said plate with its open face presented thereto,

lsaid face plate having a bead conforming in outline to a portion of the open face of said base and being adapted to receive said portion of the base within it to position said base, and Contact members in said recesses engaging the sides thereof and `havin portions extending suiciently toward sai open face to engage the back of said plate whereby alone they are secured in the base, and a lamp holder electrically connected with one of said contacts, said base having a lamp opening at the end toward the lens opening.

5. In an attachment plug receptacle, a molded face plate having openings for plug y contacts and a lens opening, in combination with a base having an open face and recesses for contact members, means securing said base in position against the back of said plate with its open face presented thereto, contact members in said recesses engaging the sides thereof and having portions extending sutliciently. toward said open face p to engage the back of said plate whereby alone they arev secured in the base, a lamp holder electrically connected with one of said contacts and a lens in said lens opening held in position by said base, said base having a lamp opening at the end toward the lens opening.

In testimony whereof I` have slgned my name to this specification.

BENJAMIN o. WEBSTER. a 

